Angela

I LOVE THIS. I don’t have much else to say about it. But with the combination of white tea and aniseed, I was biased from the start. I’ll eat/drink pretty much anything containing anise.
I love the smell of licorice (I seem to be the minority here), so I was inhaling this from the moment I opened the sampler packet. And it’s a heavy scent. Drinking this is like liquid licorice. But that’s why I plan to invest in a proper supply of it, now that my sample is nearly gone. You can’t keep an Italian away from her anise.

Roasted anything will win points for me. I’m loving the flavor of this one. Prior to receiving this sample I had yet to experience a twig-like tea, so I was excited to open the little pouch. Even the scent of the tea itself is lovely; a somewhat smoky, nutty fragrance. Yum.

I steeped it a little too long, because I forgot to put on my timer, but it’s still great. It’s not bitter at all, despite the oversteep, and it’s smooth and nutty. I see here that it can be mixed with juice? I must try it.

I love white tea. I really wanted to love this tea. But I’m coming to the bottom of my sample, and I’m just not feeling it. It’s supposed to have this nice, sweet taste, but I’m not tasting it. I even let it cool down a bit (actually, it’s about room temperature now, oops) but nothing comes out for me. I think my taste buds are broken.
It’s not unpleasant by any means, but I’m not running out to buy it. I’ve tried steeping it longer, too. How disappointing.

This is my go-to tea when I’m looking for something light. Or when I’m lazy, as I have it in bag version.
Everything I love about tea is in its description: “coconut, vanilla, ginger, and lemongrass.” And why wouldn’t I love this? The ginger is almost not there, which I’m totally okay with, as I’m not a fan. But it blends together so nicely that nothing sticks out, and I’m left with something refreshing to battle my Monday morning.
I’m almost out of my stash, surprisingly, and I do believe I’ll be replenishing this one.

I still haven’t gotten around to testing some of my tea-of-the-month samplers, so I decided it was time to break them out (especially considering the November batch is coming soon).

This has a great roasted nutty flavor. I didn’t read up on it at all before steeping, so I wasn’t expecting anything in particular. So it was a pleasant surprise! It has a happy scent, too; it fills my room with that same nutty fragrance. It’s a nice tea for autumn. Works well with my current surroundings, with the falling leaves and brisk air (if I wasn’t sitting at work, that is).

There’s not actually tea in this one. It’s all fruit. And for someone who’s not a huge fan of sweet, fruity teas… I really don’t like it.
It’s way too sweet for me hot. Despite its name, I don’t taste almonds at all. There are some slivers there, but it’s not enough over the potency of apples. So I figured it would be okay iced, but it’s the same deal. It steeps to a bright pink color that reminds me of kool-aid. Maybe the taste is similar, too. I honestly don’t recall the flavor of kool-aid.
I’ll stick to teas with actual tea in them. At least this one was just a sample.

This may be my current favorite tea. I love pearls—I may be easily amused—and I love jasmine. Oh, and I love white tea. What’s not to love?
I was drawn to it the moment I opened the little package from Steepster Select. It has a delicious jasmine-y scent. When I took the leaves off I thought for a moment that I hadn’t steeped it long enough, because it’s really light. I may have kept it on a little longer. But it didn’t make it bitter or anything. It’s a great tea for my morning ritual. Not too dark, with a subtle fragrance (even after oversteeping), and a smooth texture.
As a bonus, it still tastes good when I accidentally leave it out for too long. I haven’t tried this one iced, but I suspect it would be just as good. There aren’t too many teas that can get away with keeping their flavor at room temperature.

I waited to review this one. I’ve been rationing my sample to get the most out of it, because I had to try it three times to make a decision. Because sometimes, when you absolutely love something in the first cup, you grow bored of it after a few weeks.
This is most definitely not the case here.
What can I say that hasn’t already been mentioned? I have quite a fondness for coconut, and a little bit of a love for oolong. This tea is nice and light with just the right amount of coconutty goodness. I love just sticking my nose in the mug to inhale its scent. I took a travel mug with me on my commute, and it kicked my senses into overdrive through the early-morning grogginess.
It’s just fantastic. I’ve succumbed to rambling about its awesomeness rather than writing an actual review.

The more I drink this, the more the sweet peachy flavor is getting to me. It’s honestly too sweet for a hot tea, and I can’t decide what time of day to drink it.
But I just made a whole pitcher of it iced, and it’s decidedly better cold. Because the tea is so sweet, it works really well iced. The peach isn’t as strong, and it blends really well with the white tea. In fact, it’s more like tea when it’s cold rather than just peach.
Glad I found something to do with all this tea!

Why hello, steepster! Long time no.. oh whatever.
I have no excuse for visiting, aside from the simple fact I haven’t tried any new teas lately. But I assure you I’m drinking the good stuff that’s already in my cupboard.
Tangent aside…
I’ve reviewed this one in the past, but I just made myself an iced version of it for the summer (I anticipate doing this a lot with the stuff I have). Like most of you, I’m sure, I received the GM newsletter about making iced tea, and I was all excited to try it out with my White Persian Melon when I realized I don’t own White Persian Melon (shameful). So I went with this one instead.

Excellent choice! The tea is naturally sweet and sugary, so there’s no need to add anything to it (That that I would of course, but you know how iced tea can get…). I still like the hot version better, but this makes an excellent iced tea. Luckily, no one in my house wants my real tea so I get the entire pitcher to myself :)

You may see more of me now over the summer as I try out some more teas!

Its name is no lie. This stuff smells like marzipan. The greatest almond, sugary dessert known to mankind. When I open the bag, it’s a whiff of almond that doesn’t go away when the cup is steeped. The leaves have little bits of almond in it, which provides the delicious scent.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t translate too well to the tea. The black is a bit too strong to carry the subtle almond flavor, and it eventually tastes like simple black tea. I gave it a few tries, with varying steep times and water temperatures, but the result remains the same. So disappointed that the marzipan scent doesn’t come out in its taste. This probably would have been my favorite tea ever.

Guess I’ll have to eat real marzipan instead (such a sacrifice).

Oh, coconut tea, how have I lived so long without you?

Once I smelled these leaves in the store, I knew I had to own it. I nearly had a moment of euphoria with its coconut-y goodness. It smells just as good when steeped up. And, let’s be honest, you can’t put both green tea and coconut in the same cup and not expect me to be joyous over it.

The coconut really stands out, blending rather nicely with the taste of the green. Even simply holding the cup to my nose is reminiscent of shredded coconut. This stuff is simply awesome.

Since learning that ginger is good for the days you feel a little icky, I saved this sample for such an occasion. Which means I’ve only tested it when I’m sick. Which means any hot beverage tastes good.

Ordinarily, I hate ginger. I think it tastes like soap. But it’s so subtle in this tea that I liked it regardless. Maybe it’s a psychological thing that it makes me feel better, I don’t know, or maybe there’s more ginger in there than I taste. But it’s slightly sweet, and gives a good kick to its white tea base.

Next time I go on a tea-shopping binge I’ll pick this one up. Who needs cold medication when you can drink tea?

Continuing my journey through the GM sampler, I audibly sighed when pulling out another black tea. It seems all my random selections are black. But I was bold and steeped it up, because it has the word “vanilla” in the title.

For a black tea, this is surprisingly light! The vanilla is more than an undertone; it’s pretty much the entire flavor. There’s little vanilla bits in the leaves, and inhaling the tea’s fragrance almost reminds me of vanilla bean ice cream. And that follows through with the taste as well. There’s a hint of jasmine, which is really all it needs. It’s sweet without being overly so.

Way to go, guys. Looks like I found a black tea that I actually (shock!) enjoy.

I was excited when I grabbed this little sampler, and rather enjoyed it for the first couple sips. But after two days… I’m realizing it doesn’t taste like much of anything. I tried increasing the steep time, and messing with water temperature, but results remain the same.

Disappointing, really. The leaves had that familiar vegetal scent that I’ve come to appreciate, so I had high hopes that this would land on my “favorites” list. But alas. There’s really not much to it, and (as another reviewer stated) it kind of just tastes like hot water.

I’ll have to try a different sencha somewhere down the line.

Free sample from Kusmi! yay!

First off, I don’t love Earl Grey. Never did. But this has a floral taste that kind of overpowers the actual taste of tea, so the Earl Grey is more of a sideshow than the main event. It also leaves a sort of floral aftertaste, which is a little weird. Like eating flowers. But they were certainly spot-on with the name of this one.

Also, I’ve never seen one of Kusmi’s tea bags, but I love them. They’re little fabric bags, kind of like cheesecloth, which allows the tea to expand without getting crushed. So it’s almost like using loose leaves, but without having to clean up afterward. Bonus!

wooo this stuff is strong!

I’ll be fair, though. We know I’m not in love with black tea, so my rating may seem a bit harsh. The first time I tried it, it was steeped at [the minimum of] two minutes. This time I accidentally let it go a little longer (four minutes) and I actually like it better. This can’t be right.

I don’t really find it bitter, and once it cools a bit it doesn’t taste as strong and potent. So yeah, it tastes like a standard black tea to me. But it’s one I can actually drink and not wince at the taste.

You just can’t go wrong with peppermint. And that’s all this is. Straight peppermint leaves, nothing added to it. It’s recommended that you crush them up before steeping, which is part of the fun.

This stuff is great for those cold, windy days (note: today) or when feeling a bit under the weather (note: today). And you don’t get any funky taste by oversteeping, since they recommend such a long steep time anyway. Everyone needs a minty tea like this in his stash.

I’m kind of a sucker for detox stuff. Especially after holidays/weekends/late-night dinners. I keep this at work in case I feel gross in the morning after any/all of those instances.

It kind of grows on you. I couldn’t place the smell for the longest time (rooibos, apparently, but somewhat familiar…), until I went back to my alma mater for homecoming. Apparently, my campus has a slight smell of rooibos. Figure that one out. I actually stepped outside and said, “It smells like that tea!”

It’s a bit potent, but I like the taste of it. Not crazy dark, but not subtle, either. Apparently I enjoy rooibos. Who knew. As for a detox, it’s all right. Not a serious detox, certainly, but it makes me feel a little less gross come lunch time.

I’ve apparently been slacking off in my tea reviews. But with the cooler weather upon us, anticipate seeing me pop up more often than usual.

Anyway! This sampler was open and I apparently forgot to log it last time. Since I love both white tea and melon, it’s kind of obvious I would love this, too. A little honeydew-like (or maybe that’s because honeydew is my favorite and I want it to be there. heh). It’s really light, which makes me a happy little tea drinker, and the flavor is subtle. Another win from Golden Moon!

Reviewing this again because my dislike runs higher the more I drink it.

I really only drink it when I’m lazy and can’t be bothered measuring out loose tea. It’s the only bagged variety in my drawer at work. But I find myself literally gagging by the time I reach the cup’s end. The smell is nice & vanilla-y, and I still have that small bit of hope when opening the canister. But actual drinkability? Getting worse for me.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t invest in something indicated as “spicy,” but since it came in my sampler pack I decided to be bold and try it out.

I actually rather like this. The spice is a “cinnamon and cloves” kind of spicy, not an “Indian cuisine” kind of spicy. (Hey. I always expect the worst.) I don’t taste the chocolate too much, but it’s real subtle in the scent and aftertaste. And the leaves. The leaves are a bit sweeter-smelling than the tea itself.

It’s black tea with a little spicy kick. I approve. Another win from Kusmi!

Received this as a surprise gift from teaplz the other day. YAY.

The water was probably too hot in preparation, because I was too busy looking up how long to steep this for and forgot I had the kettle on. Whoops.

Regardless… this stuff is pretty awesome. It’s smooth and light, and it’s taking a lot of willpower not to gulp it all down at once. There’s something in there that I can’t quite place—not exactly floral, but something nature-y. After three cups, you’d think I could get it (though let’s be honest here—I’m probably using that as an excuse to drink yet another cup of tea). It’s both comforting and delicious.

Though if I don’t stop drinking tea now, I’ll never be able to fall asleep tonight.

This tea confuses me. As I waited for it to steep, I stuck my nose in the leaves [again] to inhale the wonderfully vanilla scent. It’s subtle, but it’s there. And I will pick up on any hint of vanilla, anywhere. It’s a pretty awesome flavor.

First couple sips I deemed it “tasty.” The vanilla is still a bit subtle, but it’s enough to drown out any of the black tea aftertaste I’m bound to experience. Even the black tea itself isn’t so bad. [Side note: as I’m sitting here with my cup by the keyboard, the vanilla scent still infuses the air. Better than any scented candle, that’s for sure.]

Despite all that, once it cooled down from burn-your-tongue temperature, it was… all right. I don’t hate it, but I’m not standing in line to buy more. But I’ll probably make it again at some point for scent alone.